The Longest Week of Her Life
by ellsbells10
Summary: Cate and Baze being there for Lux when she needs them. Cate and Lux relationship developing and a flashback included
1. Day 1

Lux awoke before her alarm and groaned. She felt awful. She realized she was going to be sick and scrambled down to the bathroom. She made it just in time.

She washed her face and brushed her teeth, feeling gross. "You're up early," Cate said, coming in to put make-up on before work.

"Couldn't sleep," Lux replied.

"Why?" Cate frowned. "What's wrong?"

Lux shrugged. "Nothing. Just couldn't sleep."

"What do you want for breakfast?" Cate asked, as they walked toward the kitchen together.

Lux crinkled her nose. Food sounded awful. "I'm not really hungry."

"We're late," Ryan said, emerging from the bedroom.

Cate glanced at Lux, concerned, but grabbed her bag and followed Ryan toward the door.

* * *

"Hey." Baze grinned when Lux jumped into his car for a ride to school. He handed her a coffee.

Lux took it and sipped out of habit. Immediately she regretted it. She felt like she was going to be sick. "Pull over!"

Baze gave Lux a weird look, but did as she asked. Lux immediately opened the car door and threw up.

"Sorry," she mumbled awkwardly. "You're probably thoroughly grossed out now."

"It takes a lot more than that to gross me out," Baze teased. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, my stomach's just upset. Probably something I ate," Lux explained.

"Why are you going to school?" Baze asked.

Lux shrugged.

"Cate's been a bad influence on you. You're turning into a bookworm before my eyes," Baze teased.

"You obviously haven't see my grades," Lux shot back. "If you did, you'd know which parent I take after."

Baze laughed.

"See you later," Lux said, grabbing her bag.

"Hey," Baze stopped her. "Call me if you want to come home early."

Lux nodded and smiled.

* * *

Lux didn't know why, but she felt exhausted. She had trouble keeping her eyes open in class. Jones nudged her when the teacher called on her and she looked up sleepily. He whispered the answer to the question she hadn't heard, "_Napoleon_."

"_Thanks_," Lux said quietly.

"Are you OK? You don't look good," Jones said, as the bell rang and they headed for the hallway.

Lux raised her eyebrows. "Oh, just what every girl wants to hear."

"I mean, you look like you don't feel good," Jones amended quickly, laughing. "You always look good."

"I, uh-" Lux felt lightheaded all of a sudden. Jones caught her as she fell backward.

Lux could hear muffled voices, but everything was black. "Let's take her to the nurse's office."

"No!" She cried out, not knowing whose voice it was, but knowing she did _not_ want to go to the nurse's office. She tried to sit up, but couldn't.

It felt like forever before she was able to see Jones and a few other football players. Jones was on the floor next to her. He'd carefully slid her down, so she wouldn't hit the floor hard when she passed out. "I'm fine," she lied. "I don't need to go to the nurse's office."

Jones looked at her strangely. "People who are fine don't usually pass out."

Lux tried to sit up, but instantly knew she couldn't. She was too weak. If she tried to get up right away, she would black out again. "I'm fine," she insisted. "I just need some water." She eyed Jones' water bottle thirstily.

He handed it to her and watched her drink. It seemed to help. She was able to rise after a few minutes. She still looked pale though. "If you don't want to go to the nurse's office, maybe I should call Baze," Jones said uncertainly.

"No! I'm just dehydrated. I haven't been drinking enough water. I feel much better now," she assured him.

Jones hesitated. "OK."

Lux texted Baze _Getting a ride from Jones. C u later_. She knew she couldn't make it through the rest of the day, but didn't want Baze to know she was leaving early.

* * *

She rifled through the kitchen cabinets, looking for something that sounded good to her. She knew she should eat, but the thought of food made her stomach churn. She finally settled on the classic for sick people, chicken noodle soup. She was surprised she was able to keep it down.

After she ate, Lux made her way up to the attic and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She was exhausted.

"Lux?" Cate called, as she entered the front door with takeout food.

No answer.

Cate headed into the kitchen and set the food out, assuming Lux would come down from the attic when she heard Cate. After a few minutes, Cate climbed the attic stairs.

She found Lux sound asleep and smiled. She stroked Lux's hair and moved the blanket to cover her fully before returning to the kitchen.

Cate was surprised Lux didn't wake up from her nap, but remembered Lux getting up early and decided she must just be tired.


	2. Day 2

Lux slept well until 6:12 AM. She woke up and instinctively dashed down to the bathroom. She got sick again.

Lux was grateful Baze seemed to have forgotten that she wasn't feeling well. He didn't bring it up on the way to school.

Lux was sitting in English class when she realized she was going to be sick again. She raced out of the classroom toward the bathroom without saying anything to Math.

The whole class stared in shock.

"Brynn, would you go check on Lux?" Math asked.

Brynn nodded and followed.

Lux emerged from the bathroom stall. Her face reddened when she saw Brynn.

Brynn made a face. "I've officially lost my appetite."

Lux rolled her eyes.

"I heard you passed out yesterday. Now you're nauseas. What, are you pregnant?" Brynn asked cruelly.

Lux stared at Brynn. It hadn't occurred to her, but she realized Brynn might be onto something. She and Bug were always the poster children for safety. They knew better than anyone the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy, Lux thought dully. She _was_ the consequence of an unwanted pregnancy. And her first fifteen years had been miserable because of it.

Lux remembered the _Friends_ rerun she'd seen where Rachel told Ross she was pregnant. Ross had protested that they'd used a condom and been dumbfounded at the realization that they weren't 100% effective. She smiled, remembering his angry phone call to the condom company. _They're not 100% effective_, she thought in horror.

"Oh my gosh," Brynn said. "Are you?"

"What? No," Lux replied quickly. If it wasn't bad enough that she was already known as _Foster Freak_ and _Bong Girl_, she knew Brynn was about to run her mouth and add knocked up to the list of things people gave her a hard time for.

Brynn smiled cruelly. "It wouldn't be surprising. The apple usually doesn't fall far from the tree."

Tears stung Lux's eyes, but she did _not_ want Brynn to see her cry. "Do you need something?" She asked coldly.

"I was supposed to check on you," Brynn retorted haughtily.

"Would you please tell Math I went home sick?" Lux asked. She was glad Math and Baze weren't on good terms. She knew if they were, there was no way Baze wouldn't find out.

Baze had taken out his anger at being a minute too late to stop Cate's wedding on Math. He said he would have told Cate that he had feelings for her the night before the wedding, but Math convinced him not to.

"Whatever," Brynn said.

"Thanks a lot," Lux said sarcastically after the door swung shut behind Brynn.

* * *

Lux _did_ leave school, but she didn't actually go home sick. She got on a bus and headed toward Chinatown.

Lux felt guilty because she was glad Tasha was back at Sunnyvale Home for Girls. Tasha had been three hours away for a couple months. When her new foster parents realized Tasha was a bad influence on their own kids, who had taken to swearing and dressing similar to Tasha, they'd sent her back.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Tasha asked when Lux found her in their usual hang out spot.

"I need to talk to you," Lux replied.

"What happened?" Tasha asked.

"I, uh, think I might be pregnant," Lux confessed.

"Oh my gosh," Tasha said, not sure what to say to comfort Lux.

"Does Bug know?" Tasha asked after a moment.

Lux shook her head. "I want to find out for sure before I tell him. Go with me to buy a pregnancy test?"

Tasha nodded, and they headed toward the nearest grocery store. "Are you late?" She asked as they walked.

"No. I've been nauseas every morning and I passed out yesterday," Lux explained.

"You passed out? I bet Cate loved that. I'm surprised she didn't call 9-1-1." Tasha smirked.

"She probably would have if she knew." Lux rolled her eyes. "Luckily it was at school."

* * *

They arrived at the store and found the pregnancy tests in the pharmacy section. Lux studied the overwhelming variety and wondered what kind to get. She settled on a brand she'd seen commercials for.

"You should get two," Tasha suggested. "I've seen my mom take them and it doesn't show up if you take the test when you're not far along."

Lux nodded and grabbed a second box. She blushed bright red when the cashier rang her up.

"What are you going to do?" Tasha wondered as they walked toward a McDonalds. "You know, if you are pregnant."

Lux bit her lip. "I don't know. Keep it, probably. Or have an abortion. I definitely wouldn't give it away."

Lux knew she could never put a child into the foster care system. She knew first-hand how bad it was. But, for the first time, she truly appreciated the difficult decision Cate had faced at age sixteen.

Lux didn't think she could take care of a baby. She was only sixteen! She was still in high school. She remembered how hard it had been for Bug to find a job without a high school diploma. She didn't have enough money for her and a baby to live off.

"What do you think Bug would want to do?" Tasha asked.

"I know he wouldn't want to give it away," Lux said firmly.

They headed toward the bathroom in the back of the fast food restaurant. They hadn't known where else to go. "Will you watch the door?" Lux asked nervously, not wanting anyone to barge in.

Tasha nodded.

Lux emerged from the stall a few minutes later, holding the stick.

Both girls waited anxiously, eyes glued on the indicator. A tiny negative sign appeared after what felt like hours. Lux breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't get too excited," Tasha warned, reminding Lux that pregnancy tests don't work until you've been pregnant for awhile.

* * *

"How was school?" Cate greeted Lux when she walked in the door.

"School-y." Lux shrugged.

"I got your favorite." Cate gestured to the takeout bag.

Lux forced herself to smile even though she didn't have much of an appetite. "Thanks."

Lux pushed her food around with her fork, but didn't eat much. Cate watched, a look of concern on her face.

"Do you like it?" Cate asked.

"I love it!" Lux replied, not wanting to hurt Cate's feelings or arouse suspicion. "I'm just…not that hungry. I ate a big lunch."

"You can save it for later," Cate offered.

Lux smiled, and wrapped her untouched dinner up, placing it in the refrigerator. A wave of nausea hit her suddenly, and she darted to the bathroom.

Cate followed and watched Lux throw up into the toilet. Cate instinctively pulled Lux's hair back from her face.

Lux brushed her teeth. She felt gross, but she was also buying time to come up with an explanation for Cate that wouldn't result in a visit to the emergency room. She settled on a lie before she rinsed her mouth out.

"Sorry," Lux apologized. "I'm sure that ruined your appetite. Sometimes I get sick to my stomach when it's that time of the month."

Cate smiled comfortingly, rubbing Lux's back soothingly. "It's OK."

* * *

Cate went to get Lux a 7UP while Lux changed into pajamas. She heard the phone ring and grabbed her cell off the kitchen table. It wasn't her phone, she realized.

"Lux?" She called out.

No answer. Lux probably couldn't hear her from the attic. Cate rummaged through Lux's bag to find her phone. She stopped when she noticed the pregnancy test box.

Why would Lux be taking a pregnancy test, Cate wondered. If it's that time of the month, she _can't_ be pregnant. Maybe it was from before, Cate thought hopefully.

Or, Lux lied, Cate thought in the back of her mind. Great, now Cate felt like _she_ was going to be sick. Of course she didn't want her sixteen year old daughter to be pregnant. Especially not with Bug's baby, Cate cringed at the thought. It would probably come out with a spider web on it's little neck.

But, more than that, Cate remembered how scary it had been when she was sixteen and pregnant and had no one to turn to. She hated the thought of Lux feeling that way.

Cate climbed up the attic stairs with the box and a 7UP. Lux smiled gratefully when she saw Cate, but her expression changed when she notice the pregnancy test box.

Lux swallowed.

Cate sat down beside Lux on the bed and offered the 7UP. Lux sipped nervously glancing at the box.

"Is it that time of the month?" Cate asked.

"No," Lux admitted.

Tears stung Cate's eyes, but she fought them back, not wanting Lux to see her upset. "You need to take the test, Lux."

"No," Lux said softly, looking down. "I already took one today."

Cate looked at her expectantly.

"It was negative," Lux said quickly, answering the unasked question.

"Then why-"

"Tasha said they don't work if you take them too early on in the pregnancy," Lux explained. "I bought two so I could take the second one in a week."

"Tasha? She was with you when you took it?" Cate asked.

Lux nodded sheepishly.

Cate sighed. "I'm glad you weren't by yourself. But, you know, you could have come to me. I know how you feel." Cate stroked Lux's hair comfortingly.

Lux hesitated. "Cate, I'm sorry for not understanding what you were going through. I never understood. I guess I was hurt that it was so…so easy for you to just give me away. I didn't realize until now that it's not easy. Not at all."

Cate hugged Lux close. "It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make."

"I always thought I would _never_ give my kid away. But when Tasha asked me what I would do, I didn't know," Lux admitted.

"If you're pregnant, Baze and I, we'll be here for you. You won't have to go through it alone," Cate promised.

"I know." Lux smiled.

"Wait, why do you think you're pregnant? Are you late?" Cate asked.

"No. I've just been nauseas the last few days and I passed out," Lux replied.

Cate narrowed her eyes. "You passed out? When?"

"At school," Lux said.

"Why didn't they call me?" Cate asked angrily.

"They didn't know," Lux admitted. "I was in the hallway with Jones."

"We'll go to the doctor tomorrow," Cate decided.

"No!" Lux protested.

"Lux, the doctor will be able to tell us for sure," Cate explained.

Lux bit her lip. She wasn't a fan of doctors. She'd much rather wait and take the second test in a few weeks, but the look on Cate's face told her that wasn't an option.


	3. Day 3

Cate couldn't sleep. How could she possibly sleep? She was taking her daughter to the doctor tomorrow to find out if Lux was pregnant.

Was she a horrible person for hoping it was a false alarm? _If I hadn't gotten pregnant, Lux wouldn't be here_, Cate thought. She couldn't imagine not having Lux in her life, even though she'd gone fifteen years without her daughter.

Cate lay awake tortured by her thoughts and bad memories. She heard Lux racing down the stairs and glanced at the clock. _4:05_.

Cate leapt out of bed and met Lux in the bathroom, where Lux was throwing up again. Cate pulled Lux's hair back and rubbed Lux's back soothingly. As she did so, she noticed Lux's pajama shirt was drenched in sweat.

_That's weird_, Cate thought. It's freezing. Cate was cold even though she was wearing flannel pajamas.

Cate grabbed the thermometer out of the medicine cabinet. "Hey, what are you doing?" Lux protested when Cate jammed the thermometer into her ear.

"Taking your temperature," Cate replied. She glanced at the thermometer and relief washed over her when she saw _103_ on the screen.

Lux wasn't pregnant. She was just sick.

Relief lasted less than a minute. Then, Cate panicked, realizing Lux's temperature was dangerously high. "We're going to the emergency room," she said.

"What? No! It's the middle of the night," Lux protested.

Cate ignored Lux. "Get dressed."

"I have a fever, Cate," Lux said dryly. "I'm not dying. I'll just take some aspirin and go to bed."

"You've been sick for days. You passed out. You have a high fever. We're going to the emergency room," Cate said firmly, hands on her hips.

Lux wanted to argue, but knew it wouldn't make any difference. Cate was bound and determined to take her to the emergency room. She changed into jeans and a sweatshirt and they got in the car.

Lux complained the entire way there. "Everyone else is going to have broken bones. You don't go to the hospital for a fever."

Cate rolled her eyes. "Humor me."

* * *

Cate filled out Lux's paperwork. Lux sat next to her, fidgeting nervously.

When the nurse called Lux's name, the color drained from Lux's face.

"How long have you had these symptoms?" The nurse asked.

Lux stared at the ground. "A few days," she mumbled.

Lux flinched when the nurse took her blood pressure, gripping her chair so hard her knuckles turned white.

The nurse finally led Lux and Cate to a private room. "A doctor will be in momentarily."

Cate reached for Lux's hand. "Are you scared?"

Lux shrugged.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Cate promised. "You probably have the flu. He'll do a flu test and write you a prescription."

Lux bit her lip.

The doctor knocked on the door before entering. He glanced down at Lux's chart. "Hi, Lux. I'm Dr. Frank." He shook Lux's hand.

Lux started shaking when the doctor approached her. She squeezed her eyes shut. He gently rolled up her sleeve to draw blood for the flu test.

Cate held Lux's hand, watching her anxiously. Lux's arm was shaking so badly the doctor couldn't stick the needle in. He frowned. "Lux, take a deep breathe. Try to relax. I need you to calm down so I can draw blood."

Lux obeyed and the doctor was able to draw blood. "I'll be back with the results."

Lux didn't open her eyes. She drew her knees to her chest.

"Are you scared of needles?" Cate wondered.

"Not needles. Hospitals," Lux replied truthfully.

Cate looked at her sympathetically.

"I was in the hospital for three years. I was the only kid who never had one visitor," Lux recalled. "Other kids, their families visited, brought them toys, played games with them."

**She was two. She was in the pediatric wing. It was Christmas. Santa Claus visited. All of the kids took turns sitting on his lap and telling him what they wanted for Christmas. Lux didn't know yet that unlike the other children, she wouldn't get any presents. She excitedly sat on Santa's lap and told him she wanted a baby doll.**

**On Christmas morning, the pediatric wing was crowded with families, hugging their sick kids and delivering the gifts they had asked for. Excited toddlers forgot for a moment that they were sick, tearing wrapping paper back and playing with their new toys. Lux sat in her bed alone, wondering why she was the only one who didn't get anything.**

Cate swallowed. Tears streamed down her face. She imagined little Lux all alone in the hospital. She always felt guilty for not being there for Lux, but Lux's memories made Cate feel even worse, if that was possible.

Lux opened her eyes. "Cate, I'm sorry," She said quickly. "I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to-"

Cate hugged Lux close. "I'm the one who's sorry," she whispered. "I hate that I wasn't there for you."

* * *

The doctor cleared his throat and they both looked up, wiping tears from their eyes. "You do have the flu. H1N1."

"Can we get Tamiflu and something for the nausea?" Cate asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I'd like to keep Lux here and medicate her through an IV."

"For the flu?" Cate asked incredulously.

"Lux's immune system is especially vulnerable because of her heart. Most people can fight the flu off on their own. Lux can't," the doctor explained.

He turned to Lux and admonished, "Young lady, you need to see a doctor as soon as you start experiencing symptoms. You waited three days."

Lux stared at the floor.

A nurse entered and began hooking Lux up to an IV. Lux winced when the needle pierced her skin. Cate squeezed her hand soothingly.

"Lux should get some rest now," the doctor said. When Cate didn't move, he added pointedly, "Visiting hours begin at 9 AM."

Cate looked up, "I'm staying."

The doctor sighed. "I'm afraid that's not possible."

"I'll be right back," Cate assured Lux, dragging the doctor out to the hall. "Look, she spent three years in the hospital because of her heart. She's terrified. I'm her mother! I'm _not_ going anywhere."

The doctor nodded his understanding. "I'll allow it this once." He hesitated. "In the future, you need to bring Lux in as soon as she starts showing symptoms. With her weakened immune system, a flu bug could kill her left untreated. She cannot fight off infections the way you and I can."

Cate fought back tears, nodding furiously.

* * *

Lux was curled up in the fetal position. She breathed a sigh of relief when Cate reappeared. Cate moved a chair next to the bed. She sat down and reached for Lux's hand.

"You don't have to stay," Lux mumbled. "You know, if visiting hours are over."

"I'm not going anywhere," Cate replied, rubbing Lux's back gently.

Lux smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Cate."

"Lux." Cate hesitated, waiting for Lux to meet her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick three days ago?"

Lux bit her lip, her face reddening.

"Is it because you thought you were pregnant?" Cate wondered.

"No," Lux finally admitted. "At first, I thought I was sick. I knew you'd freak out and make me go to the doctor. I _hate_ hospitals."

"I didn't realize I might be pregnant until Brynn said something at school. I'd passed out Monday and then got sick on Tuesday. Math sent her to check on me and she asked if I was pregnant." Lux rolled her eyes.

"Nice," Cate muttered. "Lux, you need to tell me when you're sick. You could've…" Cate broke off, unable to finish her sentence, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm fine, Cate. I've been through this before. Once they start me on medicine, I'll be fine," Lux assured her mother.

"Lux really needs to be resting," the nurse interrupted reproachfully. "I'm going to give you something to help you sleep."

Lux nodded dully.


	4. Day 4

When the medicine wore off, Lux woke up suddenly. She was so sore. She felt as though she'd done hundreds of sit-ups. Her back ached.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily and tried to sit up, groaning from the pain. She smiled when she saw Cate sound asleep in a very uncomfortable looking position on the chair beside Lux's hospital bed.

Then, she noticed a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the bedside table and a large stuffed lion next to her bed.

"Hey, Kiddo," Baze said. He ruffled her hair affectionately.

Cate had called him in tears as soon as Lux had fallen asleep. She'd told him Lux had the flu and could've died because of her heart problem. He swore his heart had stopped for a moment.

Then, she'd relayed how scared Lux had been of the hospital. _She was there for three years and she was the only kid who had no visitors_, Cate's words had broken his heart.

"What are you doing here?" Lux asked sleepily.

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Baze made a face. "Where else would I be when my kid's in the hospital?"

Lux smiled. "Did you do all this?" She gestured at the bouquet and the stuffed lion.

Baze nodded proudly. "Remember the YouTube video? The lion?"

Lux smiled and nodded, touched at the gesture. "How could I forget?"

Cate awoke with a start. Her neck was sore from sleeping in such an awkward position. She rubbed it, watching Lux and Baze.

Lux looked better, she noted. The color had returned to her face. She no longer looked white as a sheet.

She was smiling at Baze. She looked more relaxed, less afraid. Cate smiled and shifted so she was sitting next to Lux on the hospital bed. "Hey." She squeezed Lux's shoulder gently.

"Did we wake you?" Lux asked apologetically.

* * *

The doctor interrupted, knocking lightly on the door before entering. He moved around, taking Lux's temperature and checking her for signs of dehydration. Cate noticed Lux wasn't as shaky this morning.

"Well, Lux, you're looking good. I'm going to fill out your paperwork and then you can go home," the doctor reported.

"Wait, are you sure?" Cate demanded nervously. "I mean, you said her immune system, it isn't-"

"Cate!" Lux protested, rolling her eyes.

The doctor smiled good-naturedly. "She's out of the woods now. You might want to keep her home from school for the rest of the week. Make sure she gets plenty of rest and drinks lots of fluids. The medicine took the edge off her fever. If she spikes a temperature again, I recommend Tylenol every four hours."

* * *

"Cate," Lux said suddenly in the car on the way home. "Did you-you didn't tell Baze I thought I was pregnant, did you?" Lux remembered Baze's reaction to finding Bug's condom the night of Winter Formal and winced.

"No," Cate said softly. "That's one of those mother-daughter things. He doesn't need to know." She smiled a little at the thought. She was used to Lux having secrets with Baze. It was kind of nice to be the one who was there for Lux for a change.

"Thanks," Lux replied gratefully, breathing a sigh of relief.

Baze arrived at Cate's a few minutes after Cate and Lux. He carried the stuffed lion and flowers up to Lux's room and found Cate and Lux arguing.

"I'm not even tired," Lux protested, as Cate pushed her toward the bed.

"Sleep anyway," Cate said firmly.

"I just woke up an hour ago," Lux whined.

Baze smirked. Cate tucked her in and sat down next to her on the bed. "The doctor said you needed rest," she said.

Lux settled into her bed. Cate didn't move. "What, are you going to watch me sleep?" Lux demanded.

Cate nodded and situated herself upright against the headboard. Baze pulled Lux's desk chair beside the bed and sat down. After a few minutes, Lux and Cate were sound asleep, snuggled up together in Lux's bed. Baze smiled, watching the two loves of his life sleep peacefully.


End file.
